Adventure Magazine Cover — page 97: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

x ls a ai Kear EROS og . " 4 — tae Se ie aed fe eiovese os Pe aint thy ie Pay Gravel . QI But folks think she’s jealous. San you. Juan Joe is your friend. He speaks good words to the men of the city council about you. He tells them you’re going into.a busi- ness deal with him. Then there’s the way you came through Red Cafion. Folks can’t forget that. Every time they see the little girl they remember that. The woman named Colt talks in a loud voice. She says you’re more foolish than wicked. She is your friend, but she tries to make herself believe she isn’t. All that’s against you is just talk. Bad talk.” “Scissors, I sweep my hat low to you. You have some brains. I believe you’ve read the cards right—all except about the jealous woman.” “Every one believes that. The woman shows it in lots of her talk. There’s no other explanation for the way she gets after you. The town was stirred up a bit over Allen’s death for a day or so, but now decent folks are glad he’s dead. There are other things to take up the mind. In- dians said to be drawing closer, and no one knowing where Crook and his soldiers are. If you go back and quiet down no one will trouble you. “San Juan tells every one you and he are to organize a flume company to supply hydraulic power. That catches every one’s fancy. Six men killed by Indians within four miles of Deadwood since you went away. Patrick and Saulsbury offer five hundred reward for the capture of any man who helped run off twenty head of their best stock from the French Creek station. They threaten to stop their stages if the horse-thieves aren’t caught pretty soon. So you see the gulch has other things on its mind besides you and your doings.” “T see. Any strangers in town?” Scissors gaped in mild amazement. “Strangers? Why, you must know they’re coming and going all the time. Only they don’t go far because of the In- _ dians.”’ Dinsdale puffed his pipe in silence for a minute, then asked— “Ever you hear anything about-a fellow called Omaha?” Scissors pursed his lips and strewed: up his whimsical features in an effort to remember. Then he slowly said: “Name sounds familiar. because of the city by that name. name for a man to have.” Maybe it’s Queer Dinsdale lapsed into méditation and did not hear the rambling talk of his companion, including a lengthy explanation of the vari- ous Siouan cults. He revealed his abstrac- tion when he suddenly inquired: “See anything of the girl I brought out of Red Cafion? Lottie Carlis her name. She’s staying with Widow Colt.” Scissors nodded eagerly. ‘T’ve seen her on the street with Mrs. Colt. She never goes out alone. That makes me remember something else—Kitty the Schemer went to the Colt house. The widow sent her out flying. They say Kitty was mad enough to chew jup a harness. I'd forgotten all about that.” “Soe” gritted Dinsdale. more have you forgotten?” “T don’t know,” was the frank reply. “Probably a lot. . Since I became wakan I’ve forgotten lots of foolish stuff.” “Please don’t forget we’re going back to Deadwood City. When do we strike for “How much - the gulch?” “We’ re wide of the stage-road, and better so,” readily replied Scissors. ‘““Those men on horseback will string out and trail along in twos and threes right into the gulch. Some of them will even risk riding into the town. Each one will be watching out for you. I’ve promised San Juan Joe I’d deliver you safe and sound at his back door, and if my medicine is any good I'll do it. If we follow the middle branch of this creek to its head we'll be only a few miles south of Deadwood. There’s an old trail that we can take.” “Listen, Scissors; I’m not afraid of those horse-thieves trying any game close to Deadwood. Let’s take the most direct way to town. I’m keen to get back.” ' Scissors grinned cunningly. “Strike right out and have you get into a fight?” he said. ‘‘You’d say you’d killed a horse-thief. How would you prove it? The town would say you’re a natural-born gun-fighter and always looking for trouble. They’d remember you left a dead man be- hind when you lit out with Pyrites. It would never do to mark your return with another dead man. San Juan Joe said— I just remember it this minute—that you couldn’t stand having another killing to your credit till the first one is forgotten. He has lots of influence in town, but he can’t use it all up on one man.” Dinsdale took a few farewell puffs at his EComichbooks om (EO)